Dustin Jeffrey has been traded to Pittsburgh, along with James Melindy and Dan O'Donoghue, in exchange for Matia Marcantuoni.

He has generated 13 goals and 46 points in 45 AHL games this season. Jeffrey was chosen in the 2007 draft by the Penguins, so he is back with an organization that knows him very well. Mon, Feb 29, 2016 05:55:00 PM

The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Dustin Jeffrey from AHL Springfield.

The 28-year-old Jeffrey has posted just 33 points in 131 career NHL games, so despite his 46 points in 45 games down on the farm this season he likely doesn't boast much fantasy value. Mon, Feb 29, 2016 12:01:00 PM

Depth Charts

Even after winning the Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons, Sidney Crosby doesn't take Pittsburgh's second-round exit in 2018 lightly.

"It's something we haven't felt for a while," Crosby said of losing a playoff series. "(but that) doesn't make it any easier, I can tell you that. You want to be playing still. But you have to evaluate everything and turn the page at some point and get ready for next year." The Penguins had an incredible run so if any team can be satisfied after a playoff series loss, it's them. It seems Crosby isn't though. He has three Stanley Cup championships on his resume and it wouldn't be surprising if there were more to come before his career's over.

Evgeni Malkin scored a goal in Thursday's Game 4 victory over the Washington Capitals.

Malkin dove for a loose puck that was sitting on the goal line but no goal was initially called because Braden Holtby appeared to make a miraculous save with his blocker. However after further review, the puck did cross the line by about an inch and the Penguins got the goal they deserved. The series will now head back to Washington all tied up at two games a piece.

Derick Brassard was playing hurt down the stretch and during the playoffs.

Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford didn't go into detail about what was ailing Brassard, but he did say it was "an injury that is very difficult to play with." Brassard dealt with the issue for the last week of the regular season and throughout the playoffs. That could partially explain why he struggled so much to produce.

Riley Sheahan will likely be back on the second line for Game 2 versus Washington on Sunday afternoon.

Sheahan logged 19:15 of ice time in Game 1 against Washington between Phil Kessel and Dominik Simon. He has one goal and three points in seven playoff games this year. Evgeni Malkin (lower body) has been ruled out for Sunday's contest.

Carter Rowney will be a healthy scratch in Game 3 against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.

Rowney suited up in each of Pittsburgh's last three playoff games because of the injury to Evgeni Malkin. With Malkin ready to return, there was simply no room for him on the roster. Rowney has no points this postseason. Matt Hunwick and Josh Jooris will also watch the game from the press box.

Adam Johnson scored a pair of goals in Pittsburgh's 6-5 win over Detroit on Wednesday.

Johnson inked a two-year, entry-level contract with the Penguins over the summer. He had 18 goals and 37 points in 42 games with the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 2016-17. He's projected to start in the AHL, but there is still a chance that he makes the Penguins' opening game roster. "I think they like to play a fast game, and that's the way I play," Johnson said. "I think that's a big reason I'm kind of fitting in right now. I just hope to keep playing like I did tonight and keep it rolling."

The Penguins don't have to re-sign Jake Guentzel this summer, but they might opt to lock him up to a long-term deal now anyways.

Guentzel's entry-level contract expires in the summer of 2019, so re-signing him now would be about adding clarity to the Penguins' long-term cap situation. Guentzel was solid in his sophomore campaign with 22 goals and 48 points in 82 games, but where he really stood out was in the playoffs as he scored 10 goals and 21 points in 12 contests.

Bryan Rust found the back of the net in a 4-2 loss to Philadelphia in Game 5 on Friday.

Rust has two goals in four games this playoffs. He only netted 13 goals during the regular season over 69 appearances, but he has elevated his game in the postseason before. Remember, he had 15 goals in the regular season in 2016-17 and ended up with seven goals and nine points in 23 playoff outings a year ago.

Carl Hagelin is expected to suit up in Thursday's game against the Washington Capitals.

Hagelin has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury, but it looks like he's ready to go tonight. He's skating on a line with Riley Sheahan and Phil Kessel. Hagelin has two goals and one assist in six games this season.

Kessel's health issues caught up with him in the playoffs and though he stayed in the lineup, it sounds like he wasn't 100%. He still scored 34 goals and 92 points in 82 regular season games, but in the postseason he was limited to a goal and nine points in 12 contests. Kessel won't need to have surgery and with the Penguins eliminated he'll finally get an opportunity to focus on his recovery.

Patric Hornqvist was finally able to add a gold medal to his collection on Sunday.

Hornqvist scored two goals in five games for Sweden at the 2018 World Championship. The Swedes defeated Switzerland 3-2 in a shootout to win gold. Hornqvist is two-thirds of the way to joining the Triple Gold Club, as he already has two Stanley Cups. He still needs an Olympic gold medal to achieve that feat.

Connor Sheary only received 8:15 of ice time in the 5-1, Game 2 loss to the Flyers.

Sheary, who has struggled thus far in the post-season, started the contest on the Pens' third line but didn't finish there as Zach Aston-Reese flipped spots with Sheary. With only 12 shifts Friday (a few in the third period on the fourth line) Sheary will need to play better pretty soon or he will continue to marginalized.

Daniel Sprong should get a regular role for the Penguins next season, per Penguins GM Jim Rutherford.

It would be a big step up for Sprong, who has played in 18 NHL games over the last two seasons. He had 32 goals and 65 points in 65 AHL games this season. He'll be worth keeping an eye on during the Penguins' training camp and October.

It sounds like Zach Aston-Reese isn't dealing with concussion-symptoms at this point.

Aston-Reese sustained a concussion and broken jaw due to a hard hit from Washington's Tom Wilson on May 1st. Aston-Reese is recovering from the jaw injury, but at least the concussion issue appears to be behind him. He expects to be able to resume training in three weeks.

"He's not a guy that I'm actively trying to trade from our team. He's been a great player for a long time and I think he'll continue to be so," said Rutherford. "But, I can't sit here and project an offer that some team could come along and make. I can't project the future." Letang has another four seasons remaining on an eight-year, $58 million contract, which has a modified no-trade clause.

Justin Schultz had a pair of assists Saturday in the Penguins 6-3 loss to Washington.

Schultz has five assists in his last five games to give him a goal and eight points in 11 games this post-season. After a 51 point season in 2016-17, Schultz regressed this season as he had only four goals and 27 points in 63 games. Look for a bounce back season next year as Schultz should get back to the 40-point mark with the Penguins.

Brian Dumoulin will suit up in Game 3 against Washington on Tuesday night.

Dumoulin left Game 2 after taking a hit to the head from Caps forward Tom Wilson. He's skating on a pairing with Kris Letang during the pregame warmup. Dumoulin has one goal and five assists in eight games this postseason. He's averaged 21 minutes per game during the playoffs.

Maatta ended the game with a plus-four rating and was a big part of the Penguins win. Maatta also chipped in with an assist in 21:54 of ice time. Maatta tied his career mark of 29 points this season and should be counted on for a similar point total next season if he remains healthy.

Jamie Oleksiak's first career playoff goal opened the scoring for the Penguins in Game 5.

Unfortunately for the Penguins, they were unable to hang on as they dropped a 6-3 decision to Washington and now trail 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. The Penguins have not received much even-strength scoring in the series outside of the Sidney Crosby line, but Oleksiak was on the ice with the fourth line at the time of his goal. Pittsburgh will need notably better performances from their second and third lines the rest of the way if they expect to three-peat for the Stanley Cup.

Matt Murray endured a lot of challenges in 2017-18, but he takes them as "learning experiences."

Murray endured a series of injuries this season, including a concussion. It made it hard for him to get into a rhythm and likely contributed to his struggles when healthy. He had a 2.92 GAA and .907 save percentage in 49 regular season contests. Murray also endured his first playoff series loss after winning the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in the first two seasons of his career. "I’ve been through a lot of learning experiences," Murray said. "I’ve been through a lot of different things that most guys probably don’t see at my age — good and bad. I feel very fortunate for that. You learn from all of it. You learn from the bad things probably even more than the good things. I’ll take that. Everything that has happened is going to make me stronger in the long run."

The Penguins goaltender waited until the final day of his team's season to pick up the first shutout of his NHL career. He's won three of his last four outings. He'll finish the regular season with a 6-4-1 record with a 2.40 goals-against-average and a .921 save percentage this season. If the Pens make a long playoff run, it's probably because DeSmith won't see much action.

This move bodes well for Matt Murray, who is viewed as an option to play Tuesday against the Islanders in his return from a concussion. Jarry has a 14-6-2 record this year at the NHL level with a 2.77 goals-against average and .908 save percentage.

Leighton is regarded as being week-to-week. The Penguins acquired him from Arizona on Dec. 19 and then sent him to the minors. The fact that he's injured is particularly noteworthy at the moment because Penguins backup goaltender Tristan Jarry was hurt on Tuesday. If Pittsburgh needs to call up a goaltender, then Leighton won't be an option. Casey DeSmith, who has been summoned by Pittsburgh before due to goaltending injuries, will likely be called up again if needed.